AWOL - Issue 013 by AWOL Magazine

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE » SPRING 2013 » ISSUE 013

KEEPING THE STREETS SAFE

THE DISTRICT'S CIVILIAN GUARDIANS + LIFE AFTER TORTURE + REVIVING ROLLER DERBY + TALES OF GENTRIFICATION

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE » SPRING 2013 » ISSUE 013

MISSION: AWOL is a progressive magazine run by American University students in Washington, DC. Founded in the spring of 2008 with support from Campus Progress, we are a recognized publication of American University.

“When we think of torture survivors, we usually don’t think of the people we pass on the street, going about their lives and living in our communities, but there are 50,000 in the DC region alone." - Pamela Huber, p. 9

We exist to ignite campus discussion of social, cultural and political issues, and serve as an outpost for students to explore solutions to local and global problems. We hope to build bridges between American University and the world around it, ultimately making our campus more inquiring, egalitarian and socially engaged.

Illustration by Carolyn Becker

AWOL is not affiliated with any political party or ideology. Our stories have an angle, which is different from having an agenda; our reporting is impartial and fair, but our analysis is critical and argumentative.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Ashley Dejean CREATIVE DIRECTOR: Hannah Karl MANAGING EDITOR: Zac Deibel

EDITORIAL: STAFF EDITORS: Jess Anderson, Claire Dapkiewicz, Meridian Ganz-Ratzat,

p. 14

Eleanor Greene, Pamela Huber WRITERS: Jess Anderson, Zac Deibel, Eleanor Greene, Rhys Heyden, Jimmy Hoover, Pamela Huber, Alexa Kelly, Taylor Kenkel, Gar Meng, Jessamine Price, Audrey van Gilder

ART: ART ASSISTANTS: Julian Morris-Walker, Ellyse Stauffer DESIGNERS: Rebecca Bartola, Alex King ILLUSTRATION & PHOTOGRAPHY: Jared Angle, Carolyn Becker, Rebecca Bartola, Bailey Edelstein, Max Gibbons, Emily Guilfoil, Rhys

SUPPORT // AFFILIATIONS

CAMPUS PROGRESS

Heyden, Jessamine Price, Christopher Sledge, Ellyse Stauffer

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09 THE REALITY OF "FORCED INTERROGATION" LIFE AFTER TORTURE

19 PHOTO ESSAY LOOKING AT UNION MARKET

03 AFTER NEWTOWN FIREARMS TRIGGERING STUDENT REACTIONS by Audrey van Gilder A college student's attitude toward gun ownership

05 GENTRIFICATION IN THE DISTRICT EXPLORING LEDROIT PARK by Rhys Heyden

LOWER GEORGIA AVENUE LOOKS TO THE FUTURE by Jessamine Price Two tales of a district

07 LESSONS FROM A MPD RIDE-ALONG SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE CITY by Jess Anderson A day in the life of DC's finest

by Pamela Huber

by Jared Angle

Behind the headlines of covert activity

Images of a DC cultural hub

11 REVIVING AN ACTION-PACKED SPORT ROLLER DERBY ROUGH N' TUMBLE by Taylor Kenkel A fast-paced look at an underground activity

14 KEEPING THE STREETS SAFE THE DISTRICT'S CIVILIAN GUARDIANS

23 PROFESSOR PROFILE SIMON NICHOLSON by Eleanor Greene A realist's perspective on climate change

25 THE NATION'S MOST POLITICALLY ACTIVE CAMPUS? HEY! HO! FORBIDDING ACTIVISM HAS GOT TO GO

by Alexa Kelly

by Jimmy Hoover

Berets, not badges

Politically motivated, procedurally limited

16 PERCEPTIONS OF HISTORY THE MONUMENTAL PAST

26 LIFE AS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT COMING TO AMERICA

by Zac Deibel

by Gar Meng Leong

The ethics of public history

Out of the old life and in with the new culture

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

AFTER NEWTOWN

FIREARMS TRIGGERING STUDENT REACTIONS By Audrey van Gilder // Illustrations by Max Gibbons

On my 16th birthday, I remember listening to a radio report about a mass shooting that killed 33 people on a university campus. Even now, I can still remember how I felt about the disturbing news, because at the time I was just beginning to make my own plans for college. A few weeks ago, I opened an email to the AU community from University Safety Programs titled “Active Shooter Preparedness,” which brought back the same frightening images of students cornered in classrooms I imagined after the Virginia Tech shooting, the deadliest in US history. On December 14, 2012, my colleague at the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence stuck his head in my office and asked if I’d heard the news from Connecticut: there was a reported shooting at an elementary school. The horror our office and the whole country shared after learning that the victims were 20 five- and six-year-olds along with six educators was heart-stopping. When that news broke, I was updating the Brady Center’s list of school shootings in America.

been killed by gun violence in the area, sending waves of disbelief through the community. The Root blogger Sonsyrea Tate Montgomery wrote that the violence was like “slow torture” for the county. When the murders of teenagers are random, unrelated and occur despite a decrease in other types of crime, the frustration of survivors in the community toward the inaction of county leaders is palpable. In February, after the deaths of two 18-year-old boys in the same shooting, county officials organized an FBI-supported investigative

For high school students in Maryland’s Prince George’s county, this academic year has been especially deadly: eight teenagers have been killed by gun violence in the area.

*** Most Americans are waking up to the presence of gun violence in our society only after mass shootings like Virginia Tech and Sandy Hook take their toll. The daily presence of gun violence in many communities across the country is no less damaging or distressing though. Duke University professor of public policy and political science Kristin Goss estimates that one in three Americans have been touched by gun violence in some way in Disarmed: The Missing Movement for Gun Control in America. For high school students in Maryland’s Prince George’s county, this academic year has been especially deadly: eight teenagers have

response, called the Violent Crimes and Safe Streets Task Force. Although its written goal is to better understand and combat violent gangs on an institutional level, police are also increasing efforts to foster good community relations. Involving law enforcement officials with the anti-violence efforts of other advocacy groups will, they hope, be a more collaborative approach to fostering a safer community environment. ***

Increased awareness of the complicated issues tied up with gun violence is essential to decreasing it. American University professor Jennifer Lawless and Richard Fox of Loyola Marymount University surveyed over 4,000 high school and college students about their attitudes toward future gun ownership. They found that roughly 40 percent of those students plan to own a firearm when they live independently. Another 20 percent said they would consider owning one.

“I one day intend to own a handgun, but I also expect to have to go through an intensive process to become eligible for gun ownership.”

If the number of young Americans affected by some type of gun violence is high and the rate of intended gun ownership is too, there should be greater participation among our generation in the current national debate. Dr. Beatrix Siman-Zakhari, director of AU’s Washington Semester Justice & Law Program, believes the mass shooting in Newtown caused her students—many of whom are not US citizens—to become increasingly aware of guns in US society. “Whether about gun violence surrounding celebrities like [Paralympic and Olympic runner Oscar] Pistorius in South Africa or kids killed on school grounds in DC, students can't avoid or ignore this issue,” she said. *** Setting aside differences in population size, federal laws, and attitudes toward gun ownership between the US and other countries, the main feature characterizing the national gun landscape is the disturbing lack of regulation around gun industry activities. The gun industry—meaning manufacturers, dealers and the lobbying giant National Rifle Association—is highly protected from being held liable for damages incurred by firearms it produces, which is part of the reason Americans unaffected by gun violence have remained unaware of its consequences. Only recently and sporadically have lawsuits brought against firearms manufacturers by individual victims or their families been successful. We should encourage further accountability for those who produce, distribute and sell guns, as well as more responsible gun ownership practices among the estimated 60 million Americans who own guns. “Our country has run into a serious problem with the caliber and magnitude of weapons that private citizens have access to,” AU senior and Justice major JB Budd said. “I one day intend to own a handgun, but I also expect to have to go through an intensive process to become eligible for gun ownership.” Such a process—applied nationally and coordinated between local and federal agencies—does not exist yet, nor does any other comprehensive measure to reduce gun violence. Outraged cries concerned about Second Amendment rights currently drown out the voices of

NEWSWIRE CENSUS REVEALS 100% STRAIGHT COUNTY

ccording to data obtained in the 2010 Census, the population of Franklin County, Mississippi is made up of solely straight residents. CNN reporter John Sutter explored the county personally, revealing an interesting cultural and political phenomenon. Sutter explained, “There certainly are gay people in Franklin County…Many are happy to talk about it. It’s their neighbors and families who are not.” Because of this, people must be dodging census questions that ask about sexual orientation, lying or electing not to answer in deference to the cultural expectations of the county. The situation reveals two striking issues. First, residents feel the need to lie to federal government information collectors and systems because of their neighbors’ intolerance. Second, a region’s opinions toward someone’s private life can shape how they officially identify themselves as individuals. This sort of social pressure to disguise personal identities is hardly a recent problem facing the homosexual community. However, more and more states in America are legalizing gay marriage, and social opinion polls are leaning favorably toward legal recognition of these unions. It seems that counties like Franklin should start considering the implications of limiting an individual’s rights under law, hopefully producing a more tolerant and understanding populace. –Zac Deibel

Americans who want to see action taken to reduce gun violence, even though more Americans want to see stricter gun laws, according to the most recent Pew Research Center data. The problem is that those who want to see more regulation and less gun violence lack the money and influence to effect real change. Or at least they did before now. Since the tragic shooting at Newtown, the national consciousness surrounding guns has shifted, causing outrage among many who would otherwise be apathetic or uninvolved. While this has given the gun control movement momentum, it will take people dedicated to the cause to continue to pressure our representatives to enact change. It will take conscientious prospective gun owners like Budd to force a shift from within the gun ownership culture. It will take young people who don’t intend to own a gun to speak out against our daily routines being interrupted by gun violence. And it will take community leaders and elected officials to act in the name of increased public safety for everyone.

Audrey van Gilder is a senior studying international studies.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

GENTRIFICATION IN THE DISTRICT

EXPLORING LEDROIT PARK Words & Photo by Rhys Heyden

Just west of Shaw and south of Howard University, the tiny triangular neighborhood roughly five blocks wide and seven blocks long, colloquially known as LeDroit Park, is a place defined as being “in-between.” Occasional Lexuses, Mercedes-Benzes, and Land Rovers dot the wide, tree-lined streets, but an empty can of Schlitz malt liquor, wrapped in a brown-paper bag, lies in a landscaped planter. Right down the street from an upscale gastropub, a pair of stray cats meander around a discarded Christmas tree on the sidewalk, trash crammed between the branches. LeDroit Park is a neighborhood in the midst of rapid change, walking a fine line between preserving the predominantly black cultural legacy and acknowledging a growing influence of a more diverse, upwardly-mobile gentrifying class. “You know, four years ago, my wife and I moved here because it was what we could afford and it was safe—enough,” said Joel Clark, who lives in the neighborhood. “It’s totally different now that these new businesses

“I don’t even think that the us of four years ago could even afford to live here now.”

have come in on Florida Avenue and property values have gone up. I don’t even think that the us of four years ago could even afford to live here now.” Clark, happily pushing his 10-month-old daughter on the swing set at the park, is a gangly white South African native with long, curly hair and a goofy grin. He says when he first moved to the neighborhood, the

Fidler points out the LeDroit Park Community Mural, designed and installed by Garin Baker in 2008.

park was an abandoned lot usually used for prostitution and dealing drugs. When the new park opened in January 2011, it symbolized the gentrification slowly creeping into LeDroit since the neighborhood hit its low point in the decades following World War II— with high crime and low property values.

“LDP is certainly not what it was 20, 10, even five years ago, and I think losing the historical and cultural identity of LDP is very sad,” Ricks said. “That being said, I recognize the contributions of the diverse community that has led to the vibrant neighborhood I see today—I have very mixed feelings about this.”

LeDroit Park was founded in 1873 as a whites-only gated suburb patrolled by security guards. The neighborhood started integrating in 1888 and subsequently reversed polarity, becoming almost entirely black by 1910, according to Eric Fidler, vice president of the LeDroit Park Civic Association.

Ricks has a deep connection to the neighborhood. Her house has been in her family for over 100 years, passed down from her great grandfather. For college, Ricks stayed close to home; she attended Howard University and only lived a few blocks down the road.

According to the self-professed “amateur neighborhood historian,” the neighborhood then became a cultured home base for black elites like Paul Lawrence Dunbar and Ralph Bunche, often tied to the intelligentsia of Howard University. During World War II, the neighborhood fell on hard times, becoming gradually overwhelmed by vacant houses and crime until the process of gentrification began in the 1990s. According to Filder’s analysis of 2010 Census data, LeDroit Park was 70 percent black, 21 percent white, and nine percent other races. However, the neighborhood has continued to change since then. Danielle Ricks, secretary and communications chair of the LeDroit Park Civic Association, says she would be “shocked” if 70 percent of LeDroit Park was still black.

“I'm seeing families who were here for years, friends of my father, who can no longer afford to live here,” Ricks said. “At the same time, I have Howard friends who wish to hell they had held on to their property in LeDroit.” Ricks says she doesn’t want the neighborhood to become a carbon copy of Adams Morgan or Dupont Circle, both of which have become trendy, expensive and predominantly white. “I love both of those parts of D.C., but I want the rich contributions of African-American artists and theologians to continue in my neighborhood,” Ricks said. “I'm afraid that won't happen.”

Rhys Heyden is a senior studying journalism.

GENTRIFICATION IN THE DISTRICT

LOWER GEORGIA AVENUE LOOKS TO THE FUTURE

Words & Photo by Jessamine Price

When a conspicuously white reporter walks into Eagles Barber Shop on lower Georgia Avenue, several guys there have a question.“You going to write a story about gentrification?” Though some local residents feel insulted by the word gentrification, the barbers and customers at Eagles want me to hear the word. Gentrification, they say, is the most important story in this area, where small businesses line busy Georgia Avenue and sturdy mid-century row houses preside over quiet side streets.

neighborhood for you,” he said. “If you buy next to a park and there’s kids playing, you know it ain’t going to be peaceful. They’re going to have summer jams, concerts, and if you’re not one of them people, then you shouldn’t move around that area.” Kent Boese moved to Park View in 2007 and later became an ANC Commissioner. He also

Residents say that lower Georgia Avenue— roughly defined as the corridor stretching past Howard University and north into Park View—hasn’t seen the same dramatic redevelopment transforming nearby Columbia Heights and, to a lesser extent, Petworth. But business owners and residents say the District of Columbia’s de facto racial segregation is already declining here. The 2010 Census shows population gains in nearby areas, reversing decades of population loss and changing the area’s racial composition. The black population has declined from 93 to 58 percent since 1990. The same period saw the white population spike from 2.8 to 15 percent. Even more dramatically, residents identifying as Hispanic rose from 4.2 to 24 percent. At Eagles, barber Darnell Latney, who grew up nearby and has worked at the shop since 1997, trims a customer’s hair while recounting a recent episode involving a new resident filing a noise complaint against the long-established Park View Recreation Center. She relented, Latney says, when “hundreds” of long-time residents defended the center at an Advisory Neighborhood Commission meeting. Latney thinks newcomers should understand they aren’t just buying a house, but a neighborhood. “Before you purchase, judge if it’s the right

Eshete takes requests at Harrar Coffee.

recalls tensions around the recreation center, which he says is beloved by old-time residents. After a 2012 renovation of the center, the ANC held a meeting to discuss its reopening; the meeting, says Boese, was attended primarily by white residents. Later, neighborhood youths complained they hadn’t known about the meeting, prompting Boese to schedule a second meeting. This time, many black community members attended, and Boese was one of only two white residents present. Boese describes the meeting as “uncomfortable,” especially when a resident suggested that he had held separate meetings for black and white residents. Boese understands the concerns behind these comments, though he says not all white newcomers do. “Most of the problems we have in the city,

especially when it comes to race, are problems that we can trace back to segregation," Boese said. "Newer people need to understand where people are coming from.” At the recreation center meeting, Boese fired back at critics, saying that black and white residents want the same things and can get more from city government by lobbying together. “I usually speak my mind rather than sugarcoating it,” Boese said. “By the end of the meeting I had stronger relationships with people who wouldn’t have talked to me before.” Boese says everyone in the area, old and new, wants improvements in local housing and businesses. Changes are already underway on the quietest stretch of lower Georgia Avenue, south of Park View and north of Eagles. Last year condominiums went up, and construction just began on another apartment building. Next to that construction site, the family-owned and operated Everlasting Life Café offers an unusual menu of vegan soul food in a simple, cafeteria-style setting. Items like a vegan fried chicken sandwich bring in residents from near and far. And recently, Ethiopian immigrant Daniel Eshete opened Harrar Coffee and Roastery, the only coffee shop for several blocks. Eshete’s sister says although she, Daniel and their extended family live miles away in northern Virginia, the Georgia Avenue location offers a good business opportunity since the street is developing day by day. Local residents of all races worry about skyrocketing housing costs though. Barber Latney says even though four of his five siblings still reside in the District, he prefers living elsewhere. “It’s $400,000 and I could never have a party when I want to because they have a condo association,” he said. “They have rules.” Although Latney’s late grandfather once owned a five-bedroom house not far from here, Latney has to go farther for his piece of the American Dream. When Eagles closes at 7pm, Latney will drive about 18 miles north to his home in Laurel, Maryland.

Jessamine Price is a graduate student studying creative writing.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

on the scene of the pedestrian strike, Mayor had commented on the prevalence of jaywalking and the widespread belief that pedestrians in the crosswalk have the right of way. While hit-and-runs and pedestrian strikes may not seem as common in the city’s outskirts, they aren’t unheard of. Earlier this semester two women were injured in a hit-and-run on the crosswalk across from the Katzen Arts Center. Eyewitnesses said they didn’t have a walk signal, according to The Eagle. Metropolitan Police Department officials say no police report was filed. *** Friday and Saturday nights in particular tend to be prime times for some good old college fun, which can mean accidents and crime. Junior Chris Muller, for example, enjoys clubbing in northwest DC at places like Ultrabar. While he says that Southeast is also reputed to have a good nightlife, he hasn’t really seen it for himself. “I wouldn’t go alone, mostly because of the stigma that that area is unsafe,” he said. “I would definitely check it out with friends.” Annie Buller prefers DC9, Velvet Lounge, and the clubs along U Street. The senior usually stays in Northwest because the bars and clubs there are more accessible. But no matter where she’s off to, she says she takes precautions.

LESSONS FROM A MPD RIDE-ALONG

SAFETY AND SECURITY IN THE CITY By Jess Anderson // Illustration by Emily Guilfoil

Luckily, the woman wasn’t dead. But she could have been, had the car been going a little bit faster, had she fallen a little bit harder, had she hit her head on the way down. When we arrived on the scene, she was sitting up and speaking to an officer while two more positioned their cars, blue lights flashing, at either end of the block to prevent traffic from driving through. The pedestrian strike occurred at the intersection of 12th and U Street. It was 10:15 on a drizzly Friday night, and I was sitting in a police cruiser. I could already tell that my evening would be far from dull. Over the next four hours, I would get to glimpse a side of the District that most people don’t see. Big crimes, little crimes, we would investigate them all, listening closely to the little radio crackling next to Officer C. R. Mayor’s elbow. The extent of my crime fighting was standing sheepishly beside Officer Mayor, a garrulous, seven-year veteran to the force, as he berated a pizza delivery guy for parking illegally in an alley. Instead, my job was to watch everything and listen to Mayor’s complaints about DC drivers and pedestrians. Ironically, just moments before arriving

“If I’m going to a new place, honestly, I’ll research it. I’ll look it up online, on Yelp or something like that, see what neighborhood it’s in,” Buller said. “I always get directions, and always have them available on my phone in a way that if I were to lose Internet connection I’d still be able to access them.” But taking precautions isn’t always enough. “I was actually pickpocketed while I was out,” she said, recalling being shocked because she kept her bag on her body. “All of a sudden I reached into my bag for my wallet, and it was gone.” Buller believes that’s part of the risk of living in a city though. “I mean, if you are living in a city you should know that while ‘I may have good intentions and my friends may have good intentions,’ there are going to be sketchy people around,” she said. *** On the metro ride to the police station, a poster reiterating Buller’s advice caught my eye. It depicts a man walking down the road,

I would get to glimpse a side of the District that most people don’t see. Big crimes, little crimes, we would investigate them all.

plugged into his iPod and checking his phone. Underneath is a warning to be aware of one’s surroundings. During the ride-along, Mayor pointed out a man who looked as distracted as the guy on the poster— he seemed completely tuned out from the world, oblivious to the fact that he was mere blocks away from where a kid had been stabbed during a robbery the week before. As Buller found out the hard way, robbery happens all over the District. Even on American University’s campus, burglary is one of the

He insisted multiple times that his friend wasn’t a violent person. He was, in fact, the nicest guy you could meet. Until he got drunk.

the course of our conversation he insisted multiple times that his friend wasn’t a violent person. He was, in fact, the nicest guy you could meet. Until he got drunk. *** Mayor let me out a block from the Metro station, and we managed a quick good-bye before he was off, his mind already on the next situation. My mind was somewhere else, too: my bed. I wove around the drunken masses as I made my way to the intersection across from the U Street station, mentally calculating the minimum amount of time it would take to get back to school. As I stood on the corner waiting to cross—exhausted, shoes soaking wet from the puddles that had collected in the sidewalk cracks, and eager to get home—the thought of jaywalking flitted across my mind as I stared impatiently at the stern red hand keeping me stuck to the curb. But then I had another thought, and this time it was of me dazed and in pain sitting on the cold, damp ground, blinded by flashing red and blue lights. So, instead of crossing, I waited. My heart thudded once, twice, in time with the music blasting from the club behind me. And then the little man blinked on.

most common crimes, with 46 incidents reported to Public Safety in 2011. It comes in second only to alcohol-related offenses. Reported assault, however, is fairly uncommon on campus—there were only five instances in 2011. But that doesn’t extend to the District. Just a few hours into my ride-along with Mayor, we got a frantic call reporting an assault in progress. Cars darted out of our way as we sped to the scene of the crime, arriving just in time to see one man shoving another while the gangly 911 caller intervened. As we pulled to a stop, the attacker lurched in front of the car. As he tried to flee, his sloppy drunken grin was visible for the brief moment. Then Mayor leapt out of the car, grabbing his arms and pinning the attacker's cheek to the hood.

Jess Anderson is a freshman studying print journalism.

NEWSWIRE

The story poured forth from the agitated victim, a young man standing before us in a muddy T-shirt and boxer shorts. “He kicked my car and then he assaulted me physically,” he exclaimed, his story supplemented with helpful interjections from the caller. “Who assaults a guy in his underwear? Who does that?” the caller demanded. Despite protests of the drunken man’s friend, who hurried over to plead on his behalf, Mayor and the cops he called for backup decided they had to bring the perpetrator to the station on a count of simple assault and destruction of property. That friend, reeking of alcohol but mostly sobered up, arrived a few minutes after we did. Sitting in the lobby while Mayor filed the report, I overheard the friend ask the officer behind the desk if there was any way he could bail his buddy out. When the officer said all he could do was wait, the friend dropped into the vacant seat next to me. He then took in my AU sweatshirt, backpack, and notebook before asking what in the world I was doing there. I explained I was in the car on the ride-along program when his friend got arrested. He rubbed his large hand over his face. “He’s so stupid,” he complained. “Why does he have to be so belligerent?” Over

COMING TO A WOMB NEAR YOU

n a research lab across the world, scientists have collected DNA samples from some of the world's smartest people to determine alleles for intelligence. This is not the plot of an upcoming sci-fi thriller, but real research from the Beijing Genomics Institute in Shenzhen, China. The Institute was founded in 1998 and was China's representative in the Human Genome Project. Now the Institute's scientists are moving ahead of their Western counterparts to discover what genes determine intelligence. The idea is that when a couple decides to get pregnant using in vitro fertilization, scientists will be able to tell them which fertilized egg will have the highest IQ. This technology could increase the IQ of each generation by up to 15 points. –Eleanor Greene

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

Today, there are an estimated 2–15 million torture survivors worldwide.

Approximately 500,000 torture survivors are currently living in the US.

Washington, DC, is home to 50,000 of the torture survivors in the US.

THE REALITY OF "FORCED INTERROGATION"

LIFE AFTER TORTURE By Pamela Huber // Infographics by Christopher Sledge

When we think of torture survivors, we usually don’t think of the people we pass on the street, going about their lives and living in our communities, but there are 50,000 in the DC region alone according to the Torture Abolition and Survivor Support Coalition (TASSC). One of those survivors is Selam Heran Tarik. She lives in Shady Grove, Maryland and asked that her real name not be used in this article. Tarik says she was a minor organizer for a political opposition party back home in Ethiopia and was tortured by the ruling government for her political participation. She was forced to leave her adolescent son behind when she fled in 2005. Tarik petitioned for asylum in the United States, but lost. Without a green card or a work visa, she could not work and didn’t have the savings to live on her own. She says she lived with different friends from church for a few days or weeks at a time, eating off of the charity of others and occasionally supplementing her funds with money from temporary, undocumented housework. “Normally no food, nothing, nothing, nothing,” her translator and friend emphasized. After Tarik lost her first case, TASSC helped her build a second. In late

“I prefer to live here. Foreigners want to go abroad to improve life,” she said. Selam says that she is grateful for TASSC’s help in providing her with psychological and legal support. While her immigration status saddens her, she says TASSC has helped her recover from the pain inflicted by torture.

HOW TO BREAK A SOUL No one knows for sure just how many survivors live across the globe. Estimates range from two to fifteen million based on refugee statistics. There are approximately 500,000 survivors in the US alone, according to TASSC. The survivors generally aggregate in the major metropolitan areas, where the nation’s nearly 40 torture treatment centers can be found. Most survivors are refugees, exiles, or asylum-seekers.

her into custody for one night before releasing her with an ankle moni-

Manfred Nowak, the former UN Special Rapporteur on Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman and Degrading Treatment or Punishment, estimates that torture currently takes place in as many as 90 percent of countries, with over half using persistent patterns of torture rather

tor and directives to check in at the Baltimore office once a week.

than isolated, random cases.

2012, she was called to the immigration office in Baltimore. She remembers her lawyer not being allowed in the room, and says the officers put

The immigration officers required her to have a permanent address, so a friend from church let her live with him for what he thought would be a week or two. She says she’s been there for four months now and hasn’t heard anything about her case. Tarik says her supportive church community is helping her reha-

bilitate and keeps her connected to her Ethiopian culture. However, she sometimes feels isolated because it takes her four buses to travel from Shady Grove to her church and the TASSC center. Since money is scarce, she can’t always afford the trip. Tarik also longs for her son, but she cannot bring him to the US unless she gets a green card.

The majority of torture occurs in detention facilities, hidden away from public eye. Torture methods vary but torturers are increasingly trying to minimize physical evidence, combining healable physical abuses with psychological torment. According to TASSC, common forms of physical torture include

beating, electric shocks, starvation, dehydration, asphyxiation, positional tortures, sexual assault and rape. While these physical acts have psychological effects, the group says there are other methods

munity is supportive of its refugee populations, the survivor feels safe. Fabri believes a connection comes from that safety, helping to mend what torture severed.

aimed at specifically damaging the mind such as sleep deprivation,

PERCEPTIONS OF TORTURE

threats, mock executions, hooding, humiliation, sexual shaming, waterboarding and solitary confinement. Torture is not ephemeral—it stays with victims throughout their lives as not only a memory, but also a reality. Juan Mendez, the cur-

“Your friend is an animal. Please—help me. Please,” pleads Omar, a torture victim in the controversial movie “Zero Dark Thirty,” a film that follows the hunt for Osama Bin Laden. Omar’s interrogator has

rent UN Special Rapporteur on Torture, a visiting professor at AU and torture survivor from Argentina, says despite commonalities like the lasting impact, each survivor’s experience is unique. “The universe of survivors is very complex,” Mendez said. “It depends on each person’s history, the history of the nation that they come from, and also how well they can adjust to changing situations.

“Torture breaks the connection with self, breaks the connection with family, breaks the connection with community.”

It’s difficult to generalize on that, but as an initial or at least in the near term, it is common to all, that they will have this fear and this distrust of authority.” Mendez says that this distrust of authority stems from the fact that “torture is the ultimate exercise of authority; it’s a way of exercising authority over a person so absolute that you can actually dispose of a life of that person.” Aside from distrust of authority, there are many other lasting effects of torture. TASSC says these include “flashbacks, chronic anxiety, depression, feelings of betrayal, survivor’s guilt, [and] fear of people in uniform.” Rehabilitation aims to help survivors cope with these realities. “Some people just need to know that their life can have meaning again,” Mendez said. But not everyone chooses treatment. “They may say ‘One time of victimization is enough for me, I don’t want to relive this all again,’ so they don’t participate,” he said. An important step in rehabilitation after torture is finding purpose again, according to Dr. Mary Fabri, who used to work at the Marjorie Kovler Center for torture survivors in Illinois. She says rehabilitation comes from “experiencing yourself in a dignified way again.” Community attitudes also shape rehabilitation. “Torture breaks the connection with self, breaks the connection with family, breaks the connection with community,” Fabri said. Alternatively, when a com-

just left him alone with Maya, a pretty, young, woman new to the squadron. Maya pauses and then coolly replies, “You can help yourself by being truthful.” Kathryn Bigelow’s film views torture through the perspective of the torturers, allowing viewers to understand how torture might affect a perpetrator like Maya as she experiences a weakening of morality, a hardening of demeanor, and a struggle with conscience. What Bigelow does not portray is torture’s long-term effects on its victims. Bigelow aimed to show a realistic account of history in “Zero Dark Thirty,” but Mendez says she failed when it came to portraying torture. “First, the torture sequences that a lot of people find painful and offensive – let me tell you, they are bland… you don’t see anything of how real the pain is at the time of the suffering; and presenting the torturer as somebody who is reluctant to do it and kind of suffers when they have to do it is also completely unrealistic,” Mendez said. “Zero Dark Thirty” brought back a national discussion focused on the effectiveness of torture rather than its morality, legality or consequences. Mendez believes the public—partially because of Bigelow’s movie— thinks, “‘We’re safer because we torture, so let’s not criticize it.’” He

TEACHING TERROR Students from over 23 Latin American and Caribbean countries have graduated from the controversial School of Americas , located in Fort Benning, Georgia and renamed the Western Hemisphere Institute for Security Cooperation. SOA has supported notorious acts of violence committed by its graduates in the 14 countries pictured to the right. According to SOA Watch's website, the School of Americas "has trained over 64,000

Latin American soldiers in counterinsurgency techniques, sniper training, commando and psychological warfare, military intelligence and interrogation tactics." This psychological warfare and these interrogation tactics, including hooding and positional torture, are some of the most effective and widelyused modern torture techniques.

ARGENTINA BOLIVIA BRAZIL CHILE COLUMBIA EL SALVADOR GUATEMALA HAITI HONDURAS MEXICO NICARAGUA PARAGUAY URAGUAY PERU

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doesn’t think torture is necessary to obtain information, pointing to the Italian government’s success in ending the terrorist threat of the Red Brigades in the 1980s without torture by offering detainees protection in exchange for information. Debating torture’s effectiveness is dangerous according to Dr. Linda Piwowarczyk, a co-founder and psychiatrist of the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights. “An end-justifies-the-means argument [...] becomes very abstract,” she said, implying that when people begin to generalize torture, they reduce and objectify torture survivors. “The survivor voice is so wholly absent in this whole discussion,” Piwowarcyck explained. The public’s ignorance of these survivors prompted the creation of “Beneath the Blindfold,” a documentary that captures survivors’ stories. One of those survivors is Donald Vance, a US citizen and navy veteran who was working in Iraq as a contractor in 2006. When he reported corruption and misappropriation of weapons by the military to the FBI, the military detained and tortured Vance for three months

“It’s this stain on you, being accused of being a terrorist. This should not happen to anyone.”

REVIVING AN ACTION-PACKED SPORT

ROLLER DERBY ROUGH N' TUMBLE By Taylor Kenkel // Illustration by Ellyse Stauffer

In the past few years, roller derby has surged in a popularity not seen since the campy, televised bouts of the '70s. But the derby of today isn’t the same choreographed sport your dad watched on TV. There aren’t clothesline trips, elbow jabs or planned endings to the bouts. Instead, roller derby has become a serious sport, creating a niche community. The DC Rollergirls started with a group of players practicing in parking garages seven years ago, but has transformed into a local league with a rapidly growing fan base and a competitively ranked all-star team. Despite their varied backgrounds, many of the skaters stumbled across roller derby by chance. They all refused to let anything prevent them from strapping on a pair of skates and competing in the league.

as an enemy combatant. “It’s this stain on you, being accused of being a terrorist. This should not happen to anyone,” Vance said in “Behind the Blindfold.” While the film began to take shape following the Abu Ghraib scandal of 2004, its 2012 release date situates it as a response to Bigelow’s “Zero Dark Thirty.” One movie validates torture as a necessary evil; the other reveals the consequences of this viewpoint. One consequence is that torture survivors face a lifetime of rehabilitation. Movies and media portray torture in purely physical terms, showing the agonizing pain. But survivors also carry the psychological burden of their experience. Mendez believes that American citizens need to educate themselves on the statuses of refugees like Tarik living in their communities as well as America’s policy towards practicing torture and rehabilitating survivors. “It is very difficult now for the United States to be a beacon of hope for other people, and to play an important role in promoting human rights practices in other parts of the world, when a lot of countries will say, ‘What about you?’” Mendez explained. He says citizens need to urge their congressmen to “get back to the moral high ground on torture that [the US] used to have until 2001.” Obama’s prohibition on the US using torture is a step in the right direction; since the decree, Mendez has not received a complaint of torture against the US. Even so, survivors still face a grueling struggle each day to live and to recover, and we need to honor them with our support.

Pamela Huber is a freshman studying literature.

“It just happened exactly at the right time,” said Mara Veraar, who has skated for the past seven years as Scarlet O’Snap of the Cherry Blossom Bombshells. “I thought that I would do it just to make friends—and that is a big part of it— but what I really found too was that I forgot how much I loved sports when I was younger. I realized, ‘Oh, I really am athletic! I really want to be a part of a team sport!’ And the athleticism and the camaraderie have both been important to me.” Kari Ryder-Wilkie, who skates as Queen Kamayhemmayhem for the Cherry Blossom Bombshells, says she first caught the derby bug six years ago. “I heard about it and went to go see a bout, and was immediately fascinated and really wanted to play. It was kind of love at first sight,” Ryder-Wilkie said. She was finishing up her graduate degree at Boston University when she decided to start training and tried out for a spot in the local roller derby league. “I had one friend who was kind of interested in doing it with me— and the first day we went out to the roller rink, I broke my arm,” Ryder-Wilkie said. “That kind of killed it for her, but it didn’t kill it for me.” Wilkie stuck with it through the injury and moved to DC over three years ago, where she joined the Bombshells and still enjoys the rough and tumble of the game. The shoulder slams, booty bumps and all the scrambling to block the other team’s jammer might all rile the crowd up at the bout, but even the audience knows how quickly a jam can run afoul when a skater gets slammed down hard. Cheers swiftly turned to shocked silence during the December 8 game when Jersey Kill of the DC Demoncats twisted and crashed to

the ground in one of the final jams in a bout with Scare Force One. Kill, the lead jammer, managed to touch her hips and call off the jam as she slammed to the floor—but didn’t get up. Enthusiasm turned to concern as the music stopped and the audience fell silent. Flanked by referees and EMTs, Jersey Kill cautiously pushed herself from the floor—twisting a grimace of pain into a grin and raising an arm above her head to uproarious cheers. Kill finished the bout with a determined grin on her face, even though her team fell 93-270 to the undefeated Scare Force One. But other skaters have faced more than bumps and bruises after going down in a game. Ryder-Wilkie is one of them. She was out for a few weeks in the fall on a hip injury, and was able to walk around without crutches for the first time in two and a half weeks during the last practice before December’s double-header. Despite the risk of injury, many skaters take the physical contact inherent to the sport in stride and keep coming back for more. “I think one of the things that got me into it was just that it looked awesome—I mean, you’re on roller skates and you’re hitting people,” said Allie Feras, who is entering her second season of skating as Frak You for the Majority Whips. “But I think one thing that keeps me around, even when I’m tired or feeling down about my own ability or anything, is the community. Everybody’s very supportive. So even if you’re having a bad day, it’s kind of like your own little family." She stuck with the sport after being teamed with the newly formed Majority Whips two years ago. At the time, she was completing a graduate degree and working full time. She says she has a little more time now that she's finished her degree, but juggling work and derby proves challenging at times.

“Sometimes it’s exhausting when you get home from practice really late and then you’d have to be up really early for work or when you’re travelling for derby stuff and you have to convince your boss that you can’t be at work because you have to go roller-skate,” Feras said. Feras and her teammates on the Majority Whips faced off against the Cherry Blossom Bombshells during the last double-header. The team narrowly lost 117-123 in a bout that hinged on a series of jams in the last few minutes of the game.

The shoulder slams, booty bumps and all the scrambling to block the other team’s jammer might all rile the crowd up at the bout, but even the audience knows how quickly a jam can run afoul when a skater gets slammed down hard.

Fans packed the bleachers at the Armory for the bout. The whole league hopes to capitalize on the draw of the sport as they face the challenge of sustaining the league and the community they’ve created. Their aspirations include purchasing a warehouse for practices, getting a rec league off the ground and potentially even forming a junior offshoot of the league. During the December 8 double header, volunteers sold shirts and baked goods made by skaters in an effort to help raise money to fund the costs of expansion. Of course, interested skaters don’t need to buy out a warehouse to get started in the sport. Anyone with a roll of tape, a bit of space and a pair of skates can play flat track derby—but it takes a certain sort of determination to go from free-spirited skating to the time consuming work of running a Women’s Flat Track Derby Association (WFTDA) member league, says Mara Veraar of the Cherry Blossom Bombshells. “They always say that half of derby is getting used to how many nights a week you practice, and the other half is getting used to how many emails you get,” Veraar said. “We run this whole league. We’re on the board of directors, we’re the heads of every committee, we’re the ones setting up volunteers, we’re the ones doing fundraisers—so it’s just a million emails.” Doing the legwork on the track and behind the scenes is a handful, but being skater-run is a requirement for WFTDA member leagues. “They didn’t want to get in a situation where it was some guy or some girl owning the league and not having the skaters’ best interests in mind,” Veraar said. Even though skaters run the league, they receive plenty of help from volunteers and referees who help run the show on bout day. Colin Burke, known as Refsputin when clad in the black-and-white officials’ uniform, first fell into roller derby seven years ago as the DC

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NEWSWIRE The sense of community among skaters extends beyond the city and the league. Rollergirls were just getting on their feet. Burke says he started refereeing bouts after his girlfriend wrote an article about the DC Rollergirls, sparking his interest.

BOOK-O-MATIC

apan has taught us anything can be put in a vending machine, from new or used underwear to fresh bread. What you might not know, is that book vending machines have existed since 1822. The first book vending machine was used to dispense inflammatory books (like Thomas Payne’s Age of Reason) and pamphlets so the vendor couldn’t be punished. While book vending machines have been built periodically and have become popular in Japan and China, they’ve failed to catch on in Western nations. An Irish company recently attempted to revamp the concept with their vending machine “A Novel Idea” but went bankrupt in 2010. Given the recent popularity of Redbox and other vending machines, the book vending machine might be the next big thing. –Meridian Ganz-Ratzat

“I was like, ‘Wait, there are referees in roller derby?” Burke said. Today, referees and officials start by volunteering as non-skaters and go through a certification program once they adjust to watching the game while gliding around on wheels. Burke says that since he started out when WFTDA was still getting organized, becoming a ref was a little bit different. “When I started, everybody was learning, so there wasn’t anything set up,” Burke said. “Now there’s a little more structure to it, and there’s a lot more help from the WFTDA. I’m one of their officiating clinic instructors, so now I teach people how to do it.” Burke doesn’t just stay in the city with the league that drew him in to the sport. He travels to ref games with the DC Rollergirls’ All Star team, and even helps officiate games in other leagues. “I’ve been to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia—pretty much everywhere.” Burke said. “I also ref several tournaments a year, and those are in Philly, Vermont, Buffalo— all over the place. I do a lot of travel for derby, and I work a lot of different bouts that have nothing to do with the DC league.” Ryder-Wilkie says that the sense of community among skaters extends beyond the city and the league. She isn’t too worried about being separated from the sport if she ever moves out of DC.

FOUR EYES OF THE FUTURE

ver wished you could take a picture but didn’t have a camera? Needed to send a text, but your hands were full? Needed directions, but your phone’s Wi-Fi wasn’t working? With the unveiling of Google’s Project Glass, (or the lovechild of Siri and Warby Parker), all these desires can be satisfied—for a mere $1,500. According to Dante D’Orazio of the tech website The Verge, Google has announced that the futuristic headset—available in charcoal, tangerine, shale, cotton, and sky—will go on sale commercially by the end of 2013. Google co-founder Sergey Brin explained in a TED Talk that Project Glass’ intention is to stop people from constantly looking down at their phones, saying, “We ultimately questioned if this is the ultimate future of how you want to connect to other people in your life; how you want to connect information. Should it be by walking around looking down?” Saying, “Okay, Glass,” activates the device and allows users to access the Internet, place calls, text, take pictures, film—basically do the same things you can do on a smartphone. However, there is one drawback—whether you are a model or a middle-aged parent, using Glass as opposed to a phone will make you look like a dork. –Jess Anderson

However, not all skaters stick with derby forever. Veraar says that she’s the only player who has been skating with the Bombshells since they first started up seven years ago. Even in teammate Ryder-Wilkie's three years in derby, she's seen several others leave the sport after getting bogged down with life commitments and work. Those who stick around do so because they’ve found something uniquely meaningful in the sport and the community it creates. It’s a network of players with common goals and interests, a place for people who want to compete without giving up their day job, and, for some, a riot grrl mentality informed by a do-it-yourself determination. Rollergirls spend their time juggling fundraising for the warehouse with squeezing in plenty of practice for the next bout— and having a good time with like-minded skaters. “I think the great thing about it is that it’s so many different things to different people,” Ryder-Wilkie said. “I just think people are finding something there that doesn’t exist in any other place in society. If I didn’t want to do derby, I can’t think of anything else that would replace all of the things that derby is to me.”

Taylor Kenkel is a senior studying journalism.

KEEPING THE STREETS SAFE

THE DISTRICT'S CIVILIAN GUARDIANS By Alexa Kelly // Illustration by Carolyn Becker

They call him Sabertooth. He talks over the whir of subway cars and clamoring passengers. In his fire engine red beret and matching jacket, Marquett Milton, 21, could be mistaken for a security official. But he is an unpaid volunteer for Washington DC’s chapter of the Guardian Angels. For over two decades, this unarmed citizen force has worked for crime prevention and community outreach in the region. Volunteers patrol high-crime areas and Metro stations, acting as visual deterrents to illegal activity. On occasion, they even perform citizen arrests. The DC chapter is part of a transnational organization that started in New York City when a 23-year-old McDonald’s manager named Curtis Sliwa formed a group called the Rock Brigade. Young volunteers picked up trash in the Bronx and were well-received by their community. But Sliwa noticed another, more urgent need for citizen involvement when the New York City police department cut funding from the transit system in 1979. The lack of law enforcement presence led to an increase in muggings and fights in the subway system.

“Curtis got tired of seeing people attacked,” said mid-Atlantic chapter director and DC captain leader John “Unique King” Ayala. “He said, ‘You know what, I have a group of kids, young people that volunteer and clean up trash in the South Bronx, I wonder if I can get the young people to volunteer and clean up the trash on the subway.’” Soon, volunteers latched onto Sliwa’s mission, and the 13 original Guardian Angels became known as the “Magnificent 13” in the media. “They would ride the number four train, which was nicknamed the Mugger Express, and they would patrol it, and when they would see crime, they would step in,” Ayala said. Much like the Guardian Angels today, their presence alone was often enough to prevent criminals from acting. From the beginning, the volunteers wore their now-signature red berets. Milton explains that the color red was easy to spot in dark train cars. “It’s for safety,” he says. Even now, if Guardian Angels see

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a crime in progress, they wave their berets to signify an emergency. The Angels came to DC in the late 1980s. At the time, DC was known as the “murder capital” of the country. Seeing the success of the New York chapter, community members hoped the Angels would help clean up the DC streets. Today, there are over 130 Guardian Angel chapters across six continents and 17 countries. They patrol major U.S. cities like Chicago, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles and deter crime in places as far as Italy, Israel, South Africa, Japan, and New Zealand. Travel is an important part of being a Guardian Angel, according to Milton. He says he visits different cities to observe how other Angels patrol. “You’re learning when you’re traveling,” he said, noting that his most important takeaway from these trips has been to make sure that passengers are not pushed from the subway platforms. Milton remembers this tip when he is on patrol in the DC Metro stations.

CRIME PREVENTION Milton explained most of the job is just being there and making sure people are safe. “Walk around,” he said. “Be a visual deterrent. Make sure there’s no crime going on. Making sure people [are] safe.” Four times a week for three years, Milton has patrolled with the Guardian Angels. You might see him at the L’Enfant Plaza, Anacostia, Columbia Heights, or Adams Morgan Metrorail stops—or what he calls “hot stations”— where crime rates are high. While Guardian Angels try to deter crime by just being present, they also detain suspects, which Milton describes as moments of pride and fear. Milton says during an annual Easter egg hunt at the National Zoo, he and other Angels chased a 16-year-old boy suspected of stabbing

“Most people think we’re part of the military. Some people think we’re a step team. Some people think we’re just an ordinary group, trying to be like the Power Rangers."

another teenager, holding the suspect and handcuffing him until the police arrived. Most nights, however, are quiet. “Ninety-nine percent [of the time] we are out here nothing happens. It’s just that one percent, something always happens,” Milton said. But sometimes that one percent is all it takes. Once, Ayala was stabbed with an ice pick by a drug dealer. Numerous Angels have lost their lives in the line of duty. Though direct crime intervention is minimal, the dangers are real.

American University alumni with a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree from the School of Public Affairs. In a major city with limited police resources, he is grateful for the Guardian Angels’ help. “Anytime we can have those extra people out there being our eyes and ears, calling us when they see things, that’s a great help to us,” he said. “They have definitely prevented crime. They have apprehended criminals and called us and [we’ve] made arrests as a result.” To McHugh, the Angels’ community involvement is almost as important as direct crime prevention. Many of the Angels were born and raised in DC neighborhoods and can often build trust with the community in a way that’s difficult for some police officers. McHugh encourages the Angels—along with everyone else—to report suspicious activity to the police. He urges “community responsibility for itself.” The Angels’ rapport with DC police can be seen in other ways. Some have access to police radios and can contact police directly. Ayala even meets regularly with the police department. Their latest collaboration is an effort to prevent cellphone robbery. McHugh insists that the Angels do not interfere; however, he says the Angels should remember to take a secondary role, leaving the brunt of police work to police officers.

VIGILANTES? AND OTHER ANGEL CONTROVERSIES “Most people think we’re part of the military,” Milton said. “Some people think we’re a step team. Some people think we’re just an ordinary group, trying to be like the Power Rangers.” From the beginning, there has been confusion over the Guardian Angels’ identity. They are often classified as vigilantes, a label they do not endorse. Milton supports the idea that an Angel is just like any other civilian. They follow the law and do not carry weapons. “If we used a weapon, there’s no point in us being angels,” he said. “Might as well be a police officer. We still have to go by the same rules as a regular citizen.” When the Guardian Angels started, New York City Mayor Edward Koch denounced them as vigilantes taking over responsibilities that were not theirs to take. In a climate where police were reluctant to give credit for arrests to young, untrained amateurs, founder Curtis Sliwa staged fake rescues to garner publicity. “He did what he thought he had to do to get attention,” said Ayala, adding that Sliwa came clean in later years. Koch eventually supported the Angels’ efforts, revealing a growing understanding and approval from public officials. McHugh also rejects the vigilante label. “Some members of the public, some members of the police department even, will characterize groups such as theirs as being vigilantes and trying to take matters into their own hands, but I can tell you that that perception is completely false,” he said. “They are not out there trying to be superheroes or chase down every bad guy that they see. They’re a smart group of people.”

INTERACTIONS WITH POLICE It might seem like there would be tension between the Guardian Angels and professional law enforcement. But most of the time that’s not the case, according to Officer Phillip McHugh. McHugh is an

Alexa Kelly is a freshman in the School of Communication.

ship, monuments help to preserve historic memory,” Skic said. Monuments are a valuable component of public history and help to inform the populace of their forbearers’ contributions to their lives. Dr. Max Friedman, director of the Graduate Program in History at AU, says he considers such memorials to be “one of the main ways that the public experiences history.” “Many Americans never take a college history course or read a scholarly history book,but many visit historic sites, and they can have an enduring impact on what the public learns about the past,” Friedman said. Professor Kirk Savage, a professor at the University of Pittsburgh, is the author of Monument Wars: Washington, DC, the National Mall, and the Transformation of the Memorial Landscape.

PERCEPTIONS OF HISTORY

THE MONUMENTAL PAST By Zac Deibel // Photos by Bailey Edelstein

In September 2012, a debate erupted in Selma, Alabama over a recent monument honoring Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest. Not only did the monument honor a commander of the Confederate States of America for his military victories, but it also noted Forrest’s leadership of the early Klu Klux Klan after his service in the Civil War. Though the monument had been passively protested for 10 years, last autumn it was stolen from its 7-foot-tall base. Since then, courts and civil rights groups have debated whether the statue should be replaced. Monuments serve as landmarks of historical reference. Though not often as overtly controversial as the Forrest memorial in Selma, expressing reverence through sculpture and structure is a hallmark of American historical memory. In the nation’s capital, monuments honoring historical figures and events line streets, parks and traffic circles. For the most part, memorials attempt to be respectfully didactic. They serve as lessons about the past, items that mark both historical consequence and character. American University’s Student Historical Society president Matthew Skic believes that monuments are important for Americans’ perception of history. “Historical monuments serve as static reminders of the events and peoples of the past. Commemorating service, sacrifice, and leader-

“I still think that they function as very important, powerful spaces that bring people together, focus their attention, and make them, in some ways, make them feel like they are in the presence of the nation,” he said. In his book, Savage discusses how monuments serve as an “imagined community,” one that helps give the nation a historical identity.

Washington, DC, could be considered a city highly conscious of the past, having received a somewhat unofficial responsibility to represent our nation’s history in its architecture, culture and daily life. Beyond the National Mall, memorials pop up throughout the city. The Women’s Titanic Memorial, located near the waterfront, honors those who perished in the disaster. But DC does not simply honor notable Americans or remember exclusively American historical events. While monuments throughout the district honor not only lesserknown Americans like John Pershing or Samuel Gompers, they also observe the importance of figures like Mohandas Gandhi and Khalil Gibran. Traditional military veterans are honored throughout the city, but so are groups like Nuns of the Battlefield and Women in Military Service for America. Seemingly, DC is an epicenter of national and international memory.

“Many Americans never take a college history course or read a scholarly history book, but many visit historic sites, and they can have an enduring impact on what the public learns about the past.”

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Additionally, Eisenhower’s family considers the museum to be underwhelming and an improper reflection of the President and General’s significant contributions as a public figure. Historians similarly disparaged the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, as it seemed to exemplify a personality that was hardly reminiscent of King’s philosophies or persona. In a lecture to his peers and students in 2012, Professor Michael J. Lewis of Williams College discussed the implications of misrepresenting memory in public monuments, referring specifically to King’s monument. “Instead of inspiring warmth, there is the infinite aloofness of an idol,” Lewis said. He considers the monument absent of allusion to King’s actual identity, most blatantly evident in the misquoting of the civil rights leader on the side of his effigy. King never said,“I was drum major for justice, peace and righteousness.” The “quote” was simply a paraphrased reference to something King had heard from another source. *** Many bemoan the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial's image and message as uncharacteristic of the civil rights leader's life and principles.

*** Monuments often have unintentional implications that extend beyond serving as history lessons for the passerby. Several complications result from monument building, many of which can do more harm than the good the memorials intend to convey. Perhaps most practically, monuments are a huge financial undertaking. The finances behind building monuments sometimes present ethical issues. Friedman points out that these structures are a product of public funding or private donations, both dominated by a population of “white male elites.” Dedicated in 1922, the Lincoln Memorial cost around $3 million to complete. The Washington Monument, constructed intermittently between 1848 and 1884, cost almost two million dollars—a whopping sum in 1800s America. The high costs of memorial construction call into question the justification of spending so much money on structures meant to honor individuals’ achievements. Memorializing is expensive, and the costs incurred might be better served honoring a cause through contribution rather than effigy. The representation of historic figures can also draw controversy. Take, for example, the next big monument scheduled to decorate the National Mall: the Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial, an honorarium to the his life and legacy that will sit across from the National Air and Space Museum. The memorial’s website shows how the multifaceted memorial will aim to honor his humble origins as well as different stages of his military and political life in an effort to “inspire future generations with his devotion to democracy, public service, leadership, and integrity.” The memorial’s design is being met with intense criticism from Eisenhower admirers, public historians, and scholars as a misrepresentation of the former President. The proposal characterizes Eisenhower as a simple, average American rather than as the Supreme Commander of Allied Forces or the President of the United States.

Monuments remain fundamentally subjective. No sculptor can appeal to every observer’s historical opinion, but Lewis and others argue that a certain “timelessness” needs to be incorporated into the design process. Lewis believes that in an effort to remain modern and innovative, memorial designers have lost sight of the real purpose of their work. “A structure that offers a single great lesson is a monument; one that offers many facts and anecdotes is a school or museum,” he said. If memorials should teach a single valuable lesson about the monument’s subject, as Lewis suggests, one must wonder what lesson the individual might want displayed. In the end, figures

“Historical monuments have a tendency toward patriotic fairy tales that are supposed to make Americans feel good by consuming a heroic version of the country’s past.”

like Martin Luther King, Jr., Dwight D. Eisenhower and even George Washington, would probably take issue with their statues and personalities being portrayed for all to see. One can’t help but think that Thomas Jefferson would rather see the time and effort spent toward increasing individual liberty than constructing a rotunda to honor his image and legacy. While it hinges on a bit of idealism, the issue can hardly be avoided: how do we justify building grand, expensive structures to men and women who might rather see their work pursued and continued than simply represented by a structure? Dr. Friedman sees the need for careful production of monuments to ensure accurate representations of historical figures.

“Historical monuments have a tendency toward patriotic fairy tales that are supposed to make Americans feel good by consuming a heroic version of the country’s past,” he said. “It takes a lot of creativity, thoughtfulness, and political struggle to produce monuments that do more than render the official line.” No doubt the National Mall gives many visitors a feeling of national pride and patriotism. For instance, The World War II Veterans’ Memorial honors each state and territory’s contribution to the war effort. Beyond the circle-structure’s unity, the memorial contains tributes to the industrial contributions to the war, the loss of military lives, and the sacrifice American families made in the name of liberty. Patriotism is a critical component of monuments throughout the District. The question is: should it be? If historical memory is important to monument production, shouldn’t the memorials give us accurate, well-rounded representations of historical figures? The historical memory may be part of the problem though. There is a significant lack of monuments to political, social and racial minorities, as most of the shapers of the early nation were predominantly white males. But monuments to lesser-known figures, especially women and racial minorities, are often tucked away, not displayed proudly around the District’s epicenter like those of Washington, Lincoln and Jefferson. The Mary McLeod Bethune memorial, honoring the legacy of a critical civil rights leader and education reformer, sits in Lincoln Park adjacent to the Emancipation Memorial in a region of the District most tourists will never go. Yet, it is unrealistic to scrap monuments altogether. The Washington Monument is not only a symbol of national trial and triumph, but the different gradations in stone color from the halted construction during the Civil War presents a historical narrative as well. Monuments inevitably become components of national and public history. They have inherent value as structures that stand for more than just one person or event. “Successful historical commemoration usually happens when a groundswell of political participation meets a community demand for using a space and a creative artist is able to translate that rare moment into a compelling physical site,” Friedman said. Community demand is important, but AU Student Historical Society president Skic notes that stressing the “human qualities” of monuments’ subjects is critical. “Relying on proper historical interpretation rather than myth is what makes a monument effective,” Skic said. We have great memorials depicting great moments and great figures in history. Perhaps the thing to consider now should not be the importance of producing blind admiration of a certain figure or event, but rather on inspiring informed patriotism. Visitors to the National Mall can be proud to be American without forgetting about the less-thanhonorable moments in our history. What makes America is not simply the glorious contributions from national figures, but also our ability to overcome tribulation, to unite under astounding pressure, and perhaps most importantly, to recognize errors in judgment in an attempt to progress as a society. Monuments, then, must be reflective of this all-around history. They

[Monuments] should neither be a singular, heroic message that disregards reality nor a confused, ambiguous worshipping of a demigod.

should neither be a singular, heroic message that disregards reality nor a confused, ambiguous worshipping of a demigod. Perhaps our monuments should be coupled with funding for institutions that look to advance that individual’s efforts to change society. Instead, we should sacrifice some pomp for substance by actively furthering the subject's legacy in addition to passively preserving the subject’s historical importance. Even monuments like the Forrest memorial in Selma offer some lessons. The African American Civil War Memorial, Though clearly possessing like many memorials for less recognized an offensive character, resubjects, is far from the National Mall. placing the Forrest Memorial should not be a way of simply ignoring the undesirable memories from our national past. Remembering Forrest and the KKK is an important part of our national history because if history does not teach lessons about the errors of the past, then it is not serving the population as it should. “I think in order to make a monument like the Forrest memorial constructive, there has to be a very well-thought-out process of reinterpretation,” Professor Kirk Savage said. “That’s not an easy process because it brings up really strong emotions and a lot of painful history.” Perhaps it is time to let the American public view history not as something meant to support patriotic generalizations and fervor. Monuments can be great, but they must focus less on idolatry and more on the educational value history carries for the American people. Hopefully, future memorials will emphasize a holistic view of historical remembrance, reflecting a mature patriotism—one that avoids demagoguery and looks to instigate informed civic action that is both respectful and aware of our nation’s storied past.

Zac Deibel is a senior studying history.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

PHOTO ESSAY:

LOOKING AT UNION MARKET Photos by Jared Angle A block away from northeast DC's Union Marketâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;a radically-remodeled culinary destinationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;dozens of businesses specializing in wholesale jewelry, clothing, groceries and restaurant supplies operate from a group of run-down warehouses. The surrounding NoMa (North of Massachusetts Avenue) area is becoming gentrified, but many of the bustling wholesale markets on both 4th and 5th Street NE are separated by abandoned shops and graffiti-covered loading docks. While parts of the area remain silent, others are filled with zig-zagging forklifts and produce workers.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

Jared Angle is a junior studying print journalism and international studies.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

PROFESSOR PROFILE

SIMON NICHOLSON By Eleanor Greene // Photo by Rebecca Bartola

Simon Nicholson is professor who teaches in the School of International Service and specializes in global environmental politics. Before his academic home was in the Global Scholars office, he worked in the Galapagos with cross-curricular graduate programs, on a cruise ship headed around the world and at a law school in New Zealand. Professor Nicholson recently took time to talk about his Semester at Sea, Fossil Free AU’s divestment campaign, and why everyone needs to do more than just ride their bike to stop climate change.

What’s your favorite class to teach now? I always have this little spiel at the start of [International Environmental Politics]: ‘I teach this course because I think its really intellectually interesting, there are lots of big and interesting issues to grapple with, but the main reason I teach it is because environmental concerns are about the most critical set of concerns that we face now, and we need to wrap our brains around them and we need to work out why we’re facing them and what can be done, and so that’s what we’re really trying to get through.’ It’s a course really focused on action.

Which of your areas of expertise is the most important to students and to the world? I think there’s little question for those of us who look at environmental concerns, the big issue that we all need to come to terms with now is climate change. And what I want everybody to know about climate change is that the emerging science on climate change, the mainstream emerging science that’s coming out right now, tells us that the situation is far, far more desperate than most of us thought it would be just a handful of years ago. The climate system is changing more rapidly, and its proving to be less robust in the face of even small temperature changes than we’d anticipated and, very quickly, it looks like our ability to restrain the global economy from putting more and more carbon into the atmosphere is slipping away from us. And that sounds just so doom and gloom, and I don’t consider myself kind of a gloomy person, but my read of the science as it stands at the moment is that we’re almost at the point of desperation with these issues. That was just such a bummer. Can I delete that?

You’ve taught at the Semester at Sea program and with traveling programs at AU. What was is it like to work so closely with a small group of students and faculty? With all your academic work, that’s a lot of collaborating. In the Semester at Sea program, I’d have class with students, we’d then go to lunch together, we’d get off the ship in India together, and then go back and process that experience in the classroom, and so it really just started to merge together. We’re trying to recreate some

of that through the global scholars program, that’s what it means to have a really vibrant living learning community. So the conversations that get started in the classroom don’t finish as people walk out the door… To just be on that ship, with really smart people: students and faculty, [including Archbishop] Desmond Tutu who you could just kind of sit down with and say, “Oh, so what’s going on? What do you think of the world?”

You’re interested in human rights and climate change. How are they connected? The thing about what climate change is going to mean for people in the United States, we’ll face more storms, we’ll have more droughts, and so forth. But because of our wealth as a country, we are unequally able to adapt to many of the changes that are on the horizon. But if you live in Bangladesh and your land’s being swallowed up by rising seawater, you’re being forced to migrate across borders into India, and so forth. The people who are already living the most desperate and fragile lives are affected worst by [the] change… But they’re not getting any of the benefits of burning carbon-based fuels. That’s fundamentally a justice question. Instead of thinking about climate change in abstract terms, we’re putting this invisible gas out into the invisible atmosphere and it might have effects down the road, now we’re talking about it in very human terms, we’re talking about it in terms that I just mentioned. There are people suffering right now because of the effects of climate change. A climate change movement premised on human rights and justice gives us more impetus for action.

So if someone’s not going into policy, what can they do to help? Here’s one important thing, a caveat. The mainstream environmental movement for a long time and our environmental leaders have been telling us that just by taking some very basic, some very simple

Because of our wealth as a country, we are unequally able to adapt to many of the changes that are on the horizon.

to one’s congressman... it means getting together in groups and changing the way that we, collectively, live together. they recommended that the trays be taken out... There wasn’t an individual level change, we didn’t ask lots of people to work out ways to waste less food. We got rid of the trays, and now people put less food on their plates, and so less food is thrown away. It was a dramatic change... driven by a handful of students getting together in Professor Kim’s class and identifying a structural point of intervention... As long as we think we can tackle the environmental challenge just by individual consumer-type actions... nothing is ever really fundamentally going to happen. Political action doesn’t just mean writing to one’s congressman or voting in elections, although those things are important too, it means getting together in groups and changing the way that we, collectively, live together. Students in [International Environmental Politics] set up local community gardens, the community garden we have on campus came in part from students out of that course. Composting in the Davenport Lounge, the initial push for double-sided printing in the library, all of these things are really basic. But if you change the settings on the computers in the library so that it defaults to double-sided printing, people don’t have to make the right choice to print single-sided or double-sided. The choice is made for them, and nobody really complains. And so what can everybody do, it’s a really long answer to a very simple question, what can folks do? Get serious. That’s what we need to do. One other thing I want to call attention to is the work that EcoSense, the environmental club on campus, is doing this semester. They’re pushing for what’s called divestment. That’s a new campaign. It’s a nationwide campaign started by 350.org which is a well-known environmental organization, and they’ve picked it up. And so they’ve started a group called Fossil Free AU.

steps—you’ve been hearing this your whole life—if you just recycle, ride a bike or take a bus rather than driving a car, if you just change out your light bulbs for compact fluorescent light bulbs, then you’re doing your part.

[Those students] want a freeze on new investments in fossil fuels, and in fossil-fuel companies. And then they want a real conversation to begin about how to pull all of our current endowment investments out of fossil fuel companies.

But if the situation is really as desperate as the science tells us, those sorts of small steps, even taken by a large number of individuals, they don’t add up to very much. They’re not commensurate with the challenge that we face. Individuals, as well as doing all of those sorts of things that we typically think of as living good, green lives, really have to start getting more politically active.

And if the University does take that step because of student pressure… and other campuses and municipalities and investment firms start to do the same sort of thing, that sends a powerful message to all companies. It won’t hurt their bottom line a lot, but it changes their moral equation. It starts to send a signal to oil companies that their business model has to change.

One of Kiho Kim’s classes a couple of years ago, they went into TDR... and they found out that a huge percentage of food that was going onto people’s trays and plates was being tossed away. And so

Political action doesn’t just mean writing

Eleanor Greene is a sophomore studying print journalism.

AMERICAN WAY OF LIFE MAGAZINE

So, what does this mean for a political group like College Democrats? On these restrictions, “We are greatly hindered on activities. We can’t campaign,” said Kathryn Tinker, the president of AU College Democrats during the 2012–2013 academic year.

THE NATION'S MOST POLITICALLY ACTIVE CAMPUS?

HEY! HO! FORBIDDING ACTIVISM HAS GOT TO GO! By Jimmy Hoover // Illustration by Rebecca Bartola

As a school continually ranked by the Princeton Review as one of the most politically active in the nation, here at AU it’s worth positing the question: how do ya figure that? Well, any minor search into the rankings goliath that is the Review will tell you that these results are shady at best. There is absolutely no quantitative analysis of what constitutes political activity. Furthermore, most of their findings come from questionnaires where students “fill in one of five boxes on a grid,” the aggregate of which then filed into a database. Interestingly enough, a lot of what people take to mean political activity is directly prohibited under American University policy due to its status as a non-profit organization, meaning student groups can’t technically be “politically active.” In the 2011-12 annual report, the AU Board of Trustees declared a total of over $15 million in revenue from federal grants and contracts. Coupled with its tax-exempt benefits, American has a significant interest in maintaining its non-profit status. But to do so, the gavel often falls upon unsuspecting heads—namely, student organizations. “All students, staff, and faculty are strictly prohibited from engaging in lobbying or political activity on behalf of University,” according to university policy. The policy goes on to define these activities within parameters like “participating or intervening” in political campaigns, “lobbying” any government official or his or her staff, and unsurprisingly, “giving gifts” to these same elected personnel. Even using money that comes from sources unapproved by the university doesn’t fly when talking about student groups. “A recognized student organization is not permitted to hold outside bank accounts, or to privately raise funds for any purposes,” Director of Student Activities, Karen Gerlach, wrote in an email. “All transactions and activities of a recognized student organization must be conducted through Student Activities.”

The Dems, who in the past four years have been dealt two strikes by the Office of Student Activities for infringing on lobbying policies, must now toe the line in order to avoid a third, which would be grounds for dismantling the club. In one case, a group of AU Democrats travelled to the Human Rights Campaign office in Dupont Circle to phone bank for the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell. But when photos of the students holding up signs were posted online, the university watchdogs caught the scent of foul play. Tinker has kept the group strike-free since the start of her term in May 2012 and sees these episodes as cautionary tales to mind when planning future activities. To avoid future violations, the AU Democrats now have round-the-clock policy wonks to come up with legal quick guides on the dos and don’ts of non-profit organizations. Tinker says they’re even mindful of the speakers they bring to campus. When they invited Virginia’s gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe earlier this spring, Tinker specifically warned McAuliffe’s aides to “not make this a campaign stop.” In the worst of cases, Director Gerlach warns student organizations and individuals “could have charges filed” against them if they violate the Student Code of Conduct. Many other groups have felt less pressure from student activities when it comes to pursuing their political agendas. Valerie Kielba of the advocacy group Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) says that they have managed to avoid any sanctions stemming from policy infringements. But she admits that where the school draws the line can sometimes be opaque. “Most of the conflicts come from other groups on campus that oppose what we stand for,” she said. “When those groups go to AUCC and complain about political statements that were making, then AUCC comes to us.” The example she’s referring to took place this past September, when a group of SJP students went on a hunger strike on the quad in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners in Israel. Although not in the same vain as lobbying, the political nature of the strike was enough to disconcert the SJP’s Student Activities advisor, who then asked the group to desist. Student Activities refused to comment on any specific incident for this story. Even situated in the nation’s political hearth, AU is still an institution greatly stifled in its political expression. Realistically, SJP’s hunger strike didn’t pose any threat the the university’s nonprofit status. One would hope students would be encouraged to engage in the political activity within the limits of the law, especially at a school that prides itself as being rated one of the most politically active in the country; however, it makes sense for administrators to be cautious about maintaining the University’s tax-exempt status. Even so, it should be on administrators to understand the rules and communicate them to students. With the knowledge they will likely err on the side of caution, it doesn’t hurt for student groups to take the time to know their rights.

Jimmy Hoover is a junior studying print journalism and Spanish.

LIFE AS AN INTERNATIONAL STUDENT

COMING TO AMERICA By Gar Meng Leong

The American dream held rich prospects for me that my home couldn’t provide. Home is Singapore, barely a blip on the world map. It wasn’t until I set foot in the country that I realized the many differences that exist between our cultures. Though a relatively small difference, I was shocked to see students resting their feet on tables throughout the campus. Growing up, my father liked to remind me not to put my feet up “like a rickshaw driver” because in Singapore, it is considered rude to put your feet up while with others or outdoors. American University currently has over 1000 international students and scholars, many of whom have also been adjusting to new cultural norms. Take for instance my friend from Japan, Fu Hamabe, who was surprised at first by the way American students act in class. “Japan is really a small country, so we have to cooperate and respect each others’ opinions,” Hamabe said. “It’s about leadership, raising your hands in class and standing out, which was a bit of a culture shock to me. It is good for me actually, as I’m sometimes tired of Japanese collectivism and here you can speak your mind. And Japanese people are more likely to be shy, and difficult to guess their opinions. It’s like, ‘Just say it!’ On the other hand, in class, sometimes people talk too much—and this is frustrating as well.”

NEWSWIRE HOPE FOR HEALING HIV

toddler was cured of HIV in Mississippi thanks to doctors who administered drugs immediately upon her birth. According to CNN, the mother was diagnosed just before giving birth, keeping doctors from providing proper prenatal care, which could have prevented transmission of the virus that causes AIDS. When the baby was 30 hours old, the doctors confirmed that the baby’s mother was HIV positive and began to administer three different antiretroviral drugs. They confirmed several days later that the infant was HIV positive. The doctors continued to treat the infant for 15 months; for unknown reasons, the mother stopped treating her baby for eight to ten months before doctors intervened. When they tested the toddler again, they found that she was “functionally cured,” meaning that the virus was not detected in the blood and that the child will not have to undergo lifelong treatment. Doctors believe that early detection and treatment was the key to curing the child; while such early treatment is not possible for all newborns, the case is inspiring to researchers and doctors alike. –Pamela Huber

But Amir Awol, a student from Ethiopia, has been experiencing culture shock in a different way. “I think it’s hard because, where I came from, it's way different,” Awol said. “People interact a lot with one another. I feel Americans are more individualistic. Usually I spend most of my time hanging out with international students rather than American friends.”

I was shocked to see students resting their feet on tables throughout the campus.

Before arriving, I heard that Americans love to talk, and as an avid conversationalist, I was sure I’d be in deep discussion most of the time. The friendly “How are you?” was a refreshing change, and I was thoroughly warmed by the friendly greeting. After a while though, the novelty wore off. “Whenever you say [it], you expect people to reply they’re fine, they’re okay, but it’s actually a formality and you don’t care that much, and [it's] the most neutral thing somebody could ever say,” Joanna Heaney, a student from Rhode Island, said. “There was this one time where I did that and somebody replied, ‘I feel terrible.’ So I felt I actually had to have conversation with him and it threw me off guard.” While neutral in day-to-day life, some see the frequent greeting as a sign of cultural warmth. “I think Americans are very friendly. At least, face to face. While I was jogging, a complete stranger said hi to me,” said Eka Cipta Puetra Chandra, an Indonesia friend. “But while I was living in Singapore, they don’t.” To navigate this new culture, I try to mimic the people I see here at school and places like Dupont Circle. I am mindful of how cashiers greet me when I check out groceries and reciprocate their passing well wishes. However, small talk isn’t taken too kindly in some situations, and I occasionally have to grudgingly accept the dead silence that fills the moment. Admittedly, many people here smile more enthusiastically than back home, but at the same time, others give sullen looks. Adapting to a new culture has challenged my assumptions about America, forcing me to look beyond stereotypes and giving me a new lense through which to see my home.

Gar Meng Leong is a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences.

LIKE AWOL? HATE AWOL? WANT TO GET INVOLVED?

AWOLAU@GMAIL.COM LOOKING AT UNION MARKET PHOTO ESSAY P. 19